UFC 205: All Angles

Before the action hits the Octagon at MSG, E. Spencer Kyte breaks down what's at stake and on the line in the final seven fights at UFC 205.

With a card of this magnitude, pretty well everyone knows the reasons to watch and rather than trying to whittle such a list down to five (too hard) or stretch it to 10 (doable, but still), it feels like it would make more sense to breakdown all the different storylines and situations that factor into the fights on Saturday night.

There is a lot at stake and it’s not limited to championship gold and the immediate futures of the title fight participants, so here is a quick, yet comprehensive overview of the stories to track this weekend at UFC 205.

History: The biggest story of this whole card is McGregor’s quest to become the first fighter to ever hold UFC gold in two division’s simultaneously. It’s the goal he intended to chase at the start of the year, only to have the Nathan Diaz detour happen, but he’s back on course now and taking aim at a second title.

Conor’s Big Announcement: The featherweight champion has teased a major announcement after the fight and speculation has been all over the place about what he’ll reveal. McGregor has made it seem like it’s not a hiatus from competition, so chances are it’s something personal and will end up being less exciting than everyone anticipates.

Lightweight Line-up: Everything about the lightweight title picture hinges on the outcome of this fight. If Alvarez retains, he’ll face whomever the UFC deems most deserving, but if McGregor comes away with the win, Tony Ferguson and the winner of the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Michael Johnson could potentially wait because justified or not, a trilogy against Diaz with the belt on the line would make big bucks and could be the play.

Featherweight Future: Just as the direction the lightweight division will take in 2017 hangs in the balance until Saturday’s main event is completed, so too do the future of the featherweight ranks. A win for McGregor likely means he’s done at 145-pounds, which re-starts the division, but leaves the shadow of the departed champion who abdicated his throne hanging over the weight class for a little while.

Alvarez’ Legacy: “The Underground King” is always going to be recognized as one of the top lightweights of his time, but this is a chance for Alvarez to really cement his place in the pantheon of greats.

Fighter of the Year: While there are a few other athletes in the running, it will be hard to deny either of these men as worthy contenders for the year-end honour if they win. McGregor will have gone 2-1, but made history, while Alvarez has the chance to go 3-0 with wins over Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos and McGregor.

Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson

UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson face off during UFC 205 Weigh-ins at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2016 in New York City.

Overdue Respect: For whatever reason, Woodley is a guy that just doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Whether it’s that he used to be a smothering wrestler, that he lost some fights in the past or that people just don’t like an unabashedly confident black champion, the welterweight titleholder gets more boos than cheers.

Will that change with a dominant outing against “Wonderboy” or will fans just double-down on their dislike of “The Chosen One” should he win?

Continuity or Change: There have been three welterweight champions since Georges St-Pierre went on his sabbatical and just two successful title defenses from the two prior champions combined. Now Woodley gets his first chance – will he bring stability to the division or will Thompson ascend to the throne and keep the revolving door turning?

Machida Era, Part 2: Yes, it would be the start of the “Wonderboy Era,” but you know what I mean. Thompson has proven to be a difficult puzzle to solve over the last seven fights and if he gets through Woodley, there are bound to be comparisons to when Lyoto Machida rose to the top of the light heavyweight division and questions about who (if anyone) will halt his run of success.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz face off during the UFC 205 press conference at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 10, 2016 in New York City.

Breakthrough Moment: Jedrzejczyk is a star within the MMA world and carries the potential to break into the mainstream, with this weekend’s show feeling like the perfect opportunity for the strawweight champion to make that crossover. With another blistering performance on Saturday with all eyes on the Octagon, this could be the fight that pushes Jedrzejczyk further in that direction.

Questions of Dominance: Everyone already considers Jedrzejczyk a dominant champion, but if she hands Kowalkiewicz her first lost and picks up her fourth successful title defense, people are going to start talking about how long she’ll stay on top and where she fits among the best fighters in the game today.

Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero

Chris Weidman (L) and Yoel Romero of Cuba pose for a photo during the UFC 205 Ultimate Media Day at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 9, 2016 in New York City.

Top Contender: With all due respect to Jacare Souza, the winner of this one is probably the front-runner for the next middleweight title shot, given that Weidman is the former champ and Romero has a victory (albeit a contested one) over the Brazilian.

Romero’s Status: A lot of people question his win over Jacare and it seems like every time he fights, something wonky happens that taints or clouds his victory, but a clean, undeniable victory over Weidman will remove all doubt about Romero’s standing in the division and turn him into even more of an “imagine how good he would be if he came to the sport earlier” guy than he already is now.

Bittersweet Symphony: Weidman wanted to be headlining this show and defending the middleweight title, but instead, he’s closer to the start of the pay-per-view than the end and that has to sting. However, a blistering performance that reminds everyone that he’s one of the absolute best in the sport would be a terrific salve.

Greatness Passed: Just as this could be Weidman’s “Y’All Must’ve Forgot” moment, it could also be a second consecutive loss which would carry with it questions about whether his best days are already behind him. If that happens, expect the conversation to move all the way over to whether some of Weidman’s prime years were lost to injury and how much of an impact those various ailments had on the trajectory of his career.

Miesha Tate vs. Raquel Pennington

Miesha Tate (L) and Raquel Pennington face off during UFC 205 Weigh-ins at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2016 in New York City.

Still Resilient: Michael Bisping showed that constant unfailing belief in yourself can be rewarded, even when no one expects it, and Miesha Tate has often followed the same pattern, always believing she’s the best fighter in the division. But after getting drubbed by Amanda Nunes, is the former champion still hungry enough to shine in less flashy fights like this one?

Ready for the Spotlight: Pennington was one of Dana White’s favourites on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, but she came up short, losing in the semifinals to Jessica Rakoczy. After alternating wins and losses over her first four, she’s won three straight, but Tate is on a different level than anyone she’s beaten during that span. Can she elevate her game?

Frankie Edgar vs. Jeremy Stephens

Frankie Edgar and Jeremy Stephens face off during UFC 205 Weigh-ins at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2016 in New York City.

Stay Close: Edgar missed out on fighting McGregor because the featherweight champion hasn’t been back to the division since winning the belt last December and then got out-worked by Jose Aldo in July at UFC 200. Now, “The Answer” needs to embark on another run like he had following his first loss to Aldo, but he’s got a tough test to start in Stephens. Can he do it?

Chance to Shine: Stephens put himself on the radar by chirping McGregor in September and even though he was the butt of many jokes, this is a chance for the veteran to have the biggest moment of his career. If he can go out and beat Edgar, he can start chirping “The Notorious” one again and set himself up for bigger opportunities in 2017, despite the fact that he’s lost to several guys ranked ahead of him.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Michael Johnson

Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia (L) and Michael Johnson square up for a photo during the UFC 205 Ultimate Media Dayat The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 9, 2016 in New York City.

Darth Nurmagomedov: Khabib looked like Emperor Palpatine at Media Day and is all kinds of salty about being used as a pawn in putting together the main event. Will that seep into his performance on Saturday night? Will it have a positive or negative impact? Plus, it’s his first fight against legit competition in quite some time, so what kind of impact will that have as well?

Next in Line… Maybe: The winner will be able to make a very good case for having done enough to merit the next lightweight title shot and you can beat whoever wins won’t pass up the opportunity to state their case like Tony Ferguson did last week. Of course, everything at lightweight hinges on the outcome of the main event, but these guys get the chance to make their cases long before the night comes to a close.

What Menace Will We Get? Last time out, Johnson looked terrific, stopping Dustin Poirier dead in his tracks in 95 seconds. But throughout his career, “The Menace” has experienced lapses and backslides – he’ll look great and then not show up; he’ll shine and then he’ll falter. He has a chance to hand Khabib his first loss and cement his place at the top of the lightweight division, but will he?

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